Some Russians Protesting Against Mobilization Now Only Upset They aren’t Being Paid, Zaidman Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Nov. 5 – When Putin declared his partial mobilization and many Russians fled to avoid being swept up in that roundup, Vadim Zaidman argued that “the majority in fact were not against the war but only against personal participation in it.” Now, he says, it is clear that some who are upset are ready to go and object only if they aren’t paid enough.         

            These people, the Moscow commentator says, “not only are not against this criminal war unleashed by state terrorist V.V. Putin; they even are not against taking part of it and are ready to kill on order. They only are against not being paid their promised pieces of silver” (kasparov.ru/material.php?id=636542AB42AA7).

            On the one hand, he continues, this recalls the old Soviet anecdote according to which Stalin proposes killing his entire government and painting the Kremlin green. Molotov asks “why green?” And the Soviet dictator responds “I knew you wouldn’t have a problem with the first proposal.

            But on the other, it is even worse than that. Those willing to kill if they are paid enough are worse than Homo Sovieticus as “in terms of the level of dehumanization, this is something unprecedented” even in Russian or world history.

            It is quite clear that “the nation ahs gone mad in its willingness to support the murder of tens of thousands of people, people whom until recently that nation called a fraternal people.” The only possible name for those who form such a nation is Homo Putinus.